Opinion

Caution advised on road to enlightenment

As we limp toward the new year, many a beleaguered citizen begins to think about the sins of the past and the prospects for self-improvement in the future. We are not entirely against this custom. For the most part, it keeps people off the streets and makes traffic a little more tolerable for a week or two. We believe positive thinking is a useful enterprise, though it is clearly not without negative aspects. Difficulties arise because of the enormous amount of conflicting advice that's out there. So many new studies emerge in the course of any given year that those who are paying attention can be crushed under the weight of new information and good advice. Self-improvement at times requires far too much analytical thinking. For example, the Pew Foundation, an enormously fertile incubator of studies and surveys, recently announced the results of a research project that showed prosperity made citizens of China optimistic. No doubt many will conclude from this that money can buy happiness. Forget it. The same study indicates that no matter what happens to Russians, Uncle Vanya remains gloomy. This example partly illuminates the problem that positive thinkers must contend with, which is to say that a lot of the best advice seems to be obvious. In the study referred to above, for instance, the Pew Foundation notes, "Perhaps not surprisingly, life satisfaction is associated with socioeconomic status." This probably means having money is better than not having it. You see our point? Aside from studies like this one, that convey no new information, those of us who want to better ourselves are burdened with studies that contradict each other. In fact, last summer there was actually a study of studies that disapproved the findings of earlier studies. And although this may sound like gibberish, it's really a step in the direction of enlightenment. Take the case of hormone pills. One study found that they protect menopausal women from heart disease. But it turned out that anybody who decided to start stocking up on hormone pills would have been making a big mistake. A much more comprehensive study followed the first one, showing that certain hormone pills actually increase the risk of heart disease in menopausal women. While we're on the topic of heart disease, is vitamin E beneficial in preventing heart disease? That depends. One study said it is. Another said it isn't. Studies about coffee are a perennial favorite. A chemistry professor at the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, concluded that coffee helps clear the mind, provides a jolt of energy and contains more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in the American diet. Other studies point out that coffee contains a chemical with a big name that may or may not cause cardiovascular disease. One nutrition Web site noted that "despite being one of the most researched beverages around, no one has come up with a definitive 'yes' or 'no' answer to the question of coffee and health." The road to self-improvement is clearly a rough and rocky one. What are we to think when we read that, as a result of the study on studies, the editors of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine issued a statement that said: "A single study is not the final word, and that is an important message." Should we then resolve to think positively about important messages? Does this not call for further study? - S.N.